John Weaver Bakersfield final notes

Weaver just misses win in Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - While the Meer Capital Partners NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car team may not have achieved their goal of winning this past weekend's Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., the team did take another step towards the Division 7 Championship. Driver John Weaver, a two-time Division 7 Champion, wheeled the MCP entry to a runner-up finish, defeating his closest competitor Doug Gordon en route.

Weaver, from Orting, Wash., qualified the Bob DeVour tuned Camaro on the pole with a 5.727 second pass at 248.00 mph. In round one, he took out Jeff Carroll with a 5.820 at 250.69 mph, then took out Gordon in the semi's with a 5.768 at 247.72 mph.

That set up the final round matchup with another Division 7 veteran, Larry Miner. The pair left together and stayed that way down track, but it was Miner who prevailed with a 5.720 at 253.44 mph to Weaver's right-there 5.727 at 251.74 mph. The margin of victory was a mere .011 of a second.

"We wish we could have won, but we're happy with the weekend," said Weaver. "If you want to win the championship, you have to make it to the final nearly every race. If you keep on going to the final, sooner or later your going to get a win light. Bob had the car dialed in all weekend. When he finds his groove, he usually stays consistent all weekend. He kept the car consistent day and night, so that's a testament to what he brings to this team. You would always like to win, but when you work hard and run real good in the final but lose, you just go to the next race. We can walk away from that race and know we made them earn it."

"The car didn't hurt anything all weekend and ran all right," added DeVour. "We just got to get the car to run faster. That's the name of the game."

Team Owner Ron Meer is pleased with the team's work ethic that has them in a strong position to win the Division 7 Championship.

"To be where we are in points against the competition we have out here in Division 7 really says it all about these guys," stated Meer. "Actions speak louder than words, and these guys just keep on coming through. I'm very proud to be able to work with this group."

The next event for the Meer Capital Partners team will be in two weeks as the team heads to Fallon, Nev., for the next to last event on the Div. 7 tour.

-credit: mcp